The third USS ''Montgomery'' was a wooden screw steamer in the Union Navy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. ''Montgomery'' was built at

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in 1858; chartered by the Navy in May 1861; purchased at New York 28 August 1861; and commissioned 27 May 1861 at New York, Comdr. O. S. Glisson in command.

Service history

From June to November, ''Montgomery'' blockaded Apalachicola, Florida, off which she captured ''Finland'', lacking proper papers, 29 August. In November, she began patrolling the coast from Washington to

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

, and on the 8th had a running fight with ''Tallahassee'', the

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iron propeller. After temporary duty off

Ship Island Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. Hurricane Camille split the island into two separate islands (West Ship Island and East Ship Island) in 1969. In early 2019, t ...

2 December, she was attacked off Horn Island Pass two days later by ''Florida'' and ''Pamlico'', but was not damaged. Joining the

East Gulf Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederate States of America, Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required ...

20 January 1862, ''Montgomery'' reported off Ship Island three days later. She took schooner ''Isabel'' (formerly ''W. R. King'') off Atchafalaya Bay 1 February, then carried dispatches to

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

before joining the

West Gulf Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederate States of America, Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required ...

to hunt for schooner ''Columbia'' off San Luis Pass, Texas, 5 April. Finding the schooner abandoned, ''Montgomery'' burned her, then captured a large sloop. Cruising the

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and

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coasts, she helped free American citizens held in Mexico the latter part of April and took British schooner ''Will o’ the Wisp'' of the

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3 June. Further prizes were ''Blanche'', chased ashore at

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7 October; Confederate steamer CSS ''Caroline'', taken off

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28 October; and sloop ''William E. Chester'', taken 20 November. She continued to blockade Mobile into 1863, then joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, searching for Confederate

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

''Tacony'' off

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in June and Confederate armed cruiser ''Florida'' in the same area in July. In August she joined the blockade of Wilmington for the remainder of the year. Among her 1864 operations in this area were the capture of ''Pet'' 11 February; the destruction of blockade running steamer ''Dove'' 7 June; the capture of ''Bendigo'', aground on Wilmington Bar 13 June; and the seizure of ''Bat'' off Western Bar 11 October. Other ships of the blockade aided in these captures. In December and January she joined in the attack on and capture of Fort Fisher. In February 1865, ''Montgomery'' patrolled off

, engaging Half Moon Battery the 11th, then beginning a coastal patrol from Wilmington to

Georgetown, South Carolina Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...

, 24 February. Decommissioning at Philadelphia Navy Yard 20 June 1865, she was sold at

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10 August 1865, redocumented 1 April 1866, and was in merchant service into 1877.

References

External links

Photo gallery
at Naval Historical Center {{DEFAULTSORT:Montgomery Steamships of the United States Navy Ships built in New York City Ships of the Union Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States 1858 ships

Service history

See also

References

External links